Coregonus nelsonii, Alaska whitefish : fisheries, gamefish

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Coregonus nelsonii Bean, 1884

Alaska whitefish
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Salmoniformes (Salmons) > Salmonidae (Salmonids) > Coregoninae
Etymology: Coregonus: Greek, kore = pupils of the eye + Greek, gonia = angle (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Bean.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 27547). Boreal; 68°N - 59°N

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

North America: Probably restricted to northern Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory in Canada and Alaska in Yukon River, Paxson Lake, Copper River system, Anderson River and Mackenzie River delta. Hybridizes with Stenodus leucichthys, probably a result of simultaneous broadcasting of reproductive products in the same area; occasionally hybridizes with Coregonus sardinella (Ref. 27547). Belongs to the Coregonus clupeaformis complex (Ref. 27547).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 56.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5723)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 10 - 14; Vertebrae: 60 - 63. Distinguished by the gill rakers that are longer than 20% of the interorbital width, a total of 22 to 27 gill rakers on the first arch (with modal counts of 24 or 25), and a pronounced hump behind the head in adults (Ref. 27547). Adipose fin well developed, often larger in males; axillary process present in pelvic fins (Ref. 27547). Dark brown to midnight blue above fading to silver on sides and wide beneath; no parr marks in young (Ref. 27547).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Occurs in small to large rivers (Ref. 5723). Rarely enters lakes (Ref. 5723). Makes fairly extensive upstream and downstream movements related to spawning runs (Ref. 27547). Feeds mainly on immature insects (Ref. 27547). Usually does not feed during the latter part of the spawning run (Ref. 27547). Excellent food fish but usually not eaten (Ref. 27547).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

The spawning run involves an upward migration beginnning as early as late June. The spawning act occurs at night or during the day. A female begins to swim vertically toward the surface, belly upstream. A male (sometimes 2 or 3) joins her and eggs and milt are released as fish approach the surface. The fish break the surface, fall away from each other and return to the bottom. After spawning most move downstream. The young of the year move downstream during their first year and do not return until they are sexually mature. Generally, the same spawning grounds are utilized yearly (Ref. 27547).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p. (Ref. 5723)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)


CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

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Ecology
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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00537 (0.00262 - 0.01101), b=3.22 (3.06 - 3.38), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.5   ±0.43 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=3-5).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.